Questions for God - Is God Really Good.

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Reading for SundayHebrews 2:5-10 (the Voice)

5 Now clearly God didn’t set up the heavenly messengers to bring the final word or to rule over the world that is coming. 6 I have read something somewhere:

I can’t help but wonder why You care about mortalsor choose to love the son of man.7-8 Though he was born below the heavenly messengers,You honored the son of man like royalty,crowning him with glory and honor,Raising him above all earthly things,placing everything under his feet.[a]

When God placed everything under the son of man, He didn’t leave out anything. Maybe we don’t see all that happening yet; 9 but what we do see is Jesus, born a little lower than the heavenly messengers, who is now crowned with glory and honor because Hewillingly suffered and died. And He did that so that through God’s grace, He might taste death on behalf of everyone.

10 It only makes sense that God, by whom and for whom everything exists, would choose to bring many of us to His side by using suffering to perfect Jesus, the founder of our faith, the pioneer of our salvation

Poetry for SundayPsalm 8

O Eternal, our Lord,

Your majestic name is heard throughout the earth;Your magnificent glory shines far above the skies.2 From the mouths and souls of infants and toddlers, the most innocent,You have decreed power to stop Your adversariesand quash those who seek revenge.

3 When I gaze to the skies and meditate on Your creation—on the moon, stars, and all You have made,4 I can’t help but wonder why You care about mortals—sons and daughters of men—specks of dust floating about the cosmos.

5 But You placed the son of man just beneath Godand honored him like royalty, crowning him with glory and honor.6 You ordained him to govern the works of Your hands,to nurture the offspring of Your divine imagination;You placed everything on earth beneath his feet:7 All kinds of domesticated animals,even the wild animals in the fields and forests,8 The birds of the sky and the fish of the sea,all the multitudes of living things that travel the currents of the oceans.

9 O Eternal, our Lord,Your majestic name is heard throughout the earth.

If there are so many bad things going on in the world, Is God Really Good?

The Beginning of the StoryJob Ch 1

1 Once there was a man from Uz by the name of Job. He was a very good man—his character spotless, his integrity unquestioned. In fact, he so believed in God that he sought to honor Him in all things. He deliberately avoided evil in all of his affairs. 2 He had 7 sons and 3 daughters; 3 he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a large number of servants. Among Easterners, he was the most powerful and influential man. 4 His sons, who were all wealthy landowners, too, all used to gather together on each others’ birthdays and special occasions. The brothers would take turns hosting the others in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When these days of feasting were through, Job would call all of his family to his own house and purify them, rising up early in the morning to offer burnt sacrifices for each one.

Job:God, forgive my children for any secret sins or grudges they have against You deep in their hearts.

Job did this again and again.

6 Now one day, it came time for the sons of God, God’s heavenly messengers, to present themselves to the Eternal One to give reports and receive instructions. The Accuser[a] was with them there.

Eternal One(to the Accuser):7 Where have you been?

The Accuser: Oh, roaming here and there, running about the earth and observing its inhabitants.

Eternal One:8 Well, have you looked into the man, Job, My servant? He is unlike any other person on the whole earth—a very good man—his character spotless, his integrity unquestioned. In fact, he so believes in Me that he seeks, in all things, tohonor Me and deliberately avoids evil in all of his affairs.

The Accuser:9 I won’t argue with You that he is pious, but is all of this believing in You and honoring You for no reason? 10 Haven’t You encircled him with Your very own protection, and not only him but his entire household and all that he has? Not only this, but Your blessing accompanies whatever his hand touches, and see how his possessions have grown. It is easy to be so pious in the face of such prosperity.11 So now extend Your hand! Destroy all of these possessions of his, and he will certainly curse You, right to Your face.

Eternal One:12 I delegate this task to you. His possessions are now in your hand. One thing, though: you are not to lay a finger on the man himself. Job must not be touched.

With that, the Accuser left the court and the Eternal’s presence.

13 Now one day, all of Job’s children were gathered together under the roof of Job’s firstborn for their usual celebration—feasting and drinking wine—14 when a messenger came to Job.

Messenger:We were in the field. The oxen were plowing, the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and out of nowhere, the Sabeans attacked. They stole your animals, all1,000 oxen and donkeys, and as for your servants, they put their swords to us, and everyone is dead—every last one, except me. I am the only one who got away from the fields to tell you.

16 And while the words were still leaving the messenger’s mouth, another messenger arrived.

Second Messenger:Lightning has struck! The fire of God fell from the sky and burned the 7,000 sheep alive . . . alive! Shepherds, too—all of them burned; everyone is dead—every last one, except me. I am the only one who got away from the pasturesto tell you.

17 And while the words were still leaving that messenger’s mouth, a third messenger arrived.

Third Messenger: Chaldeans! Three groups of them attacked us. They converged on the camels and stole your 3,000 animals, and as for your servants, they put their swords to us, and everyone is dead—every last one, except me. I am the only one who got away to tell you.

18 And while the words were still leaving that messenger’s mouth, yet a fourthmessenger arrived.

Fourth Messenger: All of your children were gathered together today under the roof of your firstborn to celebrate—eating a feast and drinking wine—19 and then a powerful wind rose up from the other side of the desert, and it struck all four corners of the house. It collapsed! Everyone is dead—all of those young people—every last one, except me. I am the only one who got away from your son’s house to tell you.

20 Then Job stood up, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground. Face down,Job sprawled in the dirt to worship.

21 Job: I was naked, with nothing, when I came from my mother’s womb;and naked, with nothing, I will return to the earth.The Eternal has given, and He has taken away.May the name of the Eternal One be blessed.

22 In all of this Job neither sinned nor did he make foolish charges against God.

Out Line and Structure of the Book of Job

Prologue - Job Is Tested (1-2)

Job's Soliloquy (3)

The Great Debate: 1st Cycle Of Speeches (4-14)

The Great Debate: 2nd Cycle Of Speeches (15-21)

The Great Debate: 3rd Cycle Of Speeches (22-31)

Young Elihu Speaks (32-37)

God Speaks To Job (38:1-42:6)

Epilogue - Job Is Blessed (42:7-17)

Job Responds to God Job 40

The Eternal continued speaking to Job.

2 Eternal One: Have you heard enough?Will the one who finds fault with the Highest One[a] now make his case?Let God’s accuser answer Him!

3 Job answered the Eternal.

4 Job: Oh, I am so small. How can I reply to You?I’ll cover my mouth with my hand, for I’ve already said too much.5 One time I have spoken, and I have no answer to give—two times, and I have nothing more to add.

6 The Eternal spoke to Job from the raging storm.

Eternal One:7 Now, prepare yourself and gather your courage like a warrior.Prepare yourself for the task at hand.I’ll be asking the questions, now—you will supply the answers.8 Let Me ask you a new question:Would you go so far as to call into question My judgment?Would you imagine Me guilty merely in order to justify yourself?9 Do you have an arm just as powerful as God’sand does your voice thunder as His does?

10 Then dress yourself up in majesty and dignity.Deck yourself out in honor and splendor11 And indulge your anger.Unleash your wrath!Look down on each and every proud soul, and cut him low.12 Look down on all who are proud, and humiliate them.Raise your mighty foot, and stomp the wicked where they stand.13 Bury them all together in the dirt,and shroud their frozen faces in the secret recesses of the grave.14 If you can execute all this,then I—yes, even I—will praise you,for your great and mighty right hand earned you the victory!

How fast was Voyager 2 going when it left our solar system, and, at that speed, how long to the closest star?

At present, the Voyager I & II are moving at a speed of 35,000 miles per hour. The nearest star, Proxima centauri is 4.22 light years away. Light travels at a speed of 186, 000 miles/sec. = 186,000 x 3600 x 24 x 365 = 5.865 trillion miles per light year. To travel the distance of one light year, Voyager will have to travel for 5.865 trillion miles/(35,000x 24 x 365) = 19,130 years. (Another way to calculate is speed of light/sec divided by speed of voyage/sec = 186,000/(35,000 X 3600) = 19,130 years). For 4.22 light years = 4.22 x 19,130 = 80,730 years. However, the Voyager is powered by slow decay of depleted putonium on board, which will last ony 8,000 years.

Watch this Video about the Voyager Program to learn more.

This is the longer uncut version of the video showed during offering.

Good Reads

What We Get Wrong About 'Finding God's Will'

God's will is not a mystery to be solved but a road to be traveled.Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/what-we-get-wrong-about-finding-gods-will#zXcvpaM0KmhejCmO.99

Confessions of a Recovering Cynic

Sometimes, cynicism isn't an attitude to be corrected but a journey to be completed.Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/god-our-generation/confessions-recovering-cynic#d0IWzKD8zkzLHSAq.99